WILL THOMAS CROWNED 2006 MAARA CHAMPION

JENNERSTOWN, PA (Oct. 30) … The fledgling Mid-Atlantic Asphalt Racing Alliance (MAARA) rang down the curtain on the 2006 season by crowning Will Thomas as its first champion during an awards luncheon at the Lake Erie Speedway VIP club this past Saturday. 

The series was comprised of five extra-distance late model races staged at the alliance tracks, which included: Holland (NY) Speedway, Jennerstown Speedway, Lake Erie Speedway, Lancaster (NY) Raceway Park and Motordrome Speedway.

Thomas used three victories as a springboard to the championship. The Sharpsville-driver, who accumulated over $9,000 in winnings, was victorious at Jennerstown, Holland and Lancaster, while recording a fourth-place effort at Lake Erie. Thomas suffered an early race DNF in the Motordrome season opener.

“The MAARA series was a dream come true for our team,” said Thomas, who started his career in the Allison Legacy cars and progressed up to the late model ranks.. “We seem to do better in the longer races and this series was a perfect fit for our organization.”

The MAARA championship marked the first asphalt title for his Colonial Steel team, which is owned by patriarch Bill Thomas, who fielded dirt track sprint car and modified entries for drivers Lou Blaney and Ralph Quarterson over several decades.

Canadian champion Pete Vanderwyst finished second, 50-points down, to Thomas.  Ohio’s Glenn Gault Jr, who captured the Lake Erie MAARA race, was third, trailed by NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Division 3 champion Mark Bliss and multi-time Motordrome champion Rick Miller.  Rounding out the top-10 were: T.J. Johnson, Todd Hoddick, Cole Pearn, Cory Lischer, and Rich Skora.

West Virginia ace Richard Mitchell, a former NASCAR Northeast region champion, and former ARCA and BUSCH Series competitor, was the winner of the Motordrome century grind.

A total of 90-different drivers attempted to qualify for the five events.

Following the awards portion of the luncheon MAARA officials conducted an informational session with the competitors regarding the upcoming 2007 season. A 2007 schedule, car specifications, and event procedures will be released by mid-November.

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